The invention concerns a device for transport of air in a tire, consisting of or comprising a hollow compressible channel located along at least a part of the tire perimeter and fitted with at least one end opening into the tire and at least one end opening into the external environment.
Different solutions for maintenance of pressure in the tire under operation are used in technical practice. For example, a tire can be provided with air feed by being connected to an external pressure source. Drawbacks of these solutions are extensive purchase costs and complexity of the device itself.
Self-reinflating tires are in use too. For instance, an exemplary self-reinflating tire is described in patent applications CZ PV 2002-1364 and CZ PV 2001-4451. An air feed chamber is located in a tire wall or next to it. With tire deformation advancing by rolling, the chamber is periodically completely pressed down or broken crosswise; advancing chamber compression down to zero cross-section pushes the medium contained within the chamber ahead, leaving a vacuum behind. A hose-shaped chamber placed in the tire wall or next to it, along the tire perimeter, works as a peristaltic pump.
In a device for transport of air in a tire or close to it, consisting of or comprising a chamber in form of a hollow compressible channel, placed along at least a part of the tire perimeter, according to this invention the above-mentioned drawbacks have been eliminated to high extent. In essence, a ring is attached to the inner side of the chamber and a distance of the ring's outer side from a tire rotation axis equals 1 to 1.1 multiple of a distance of a chamber bottom side from the tire rotation axis.
Another type of device for transport of air is a device for transport of air in the tire or close to it with a channel fitted with a valve on at least one input of the valve.
The channel can be interconnected with the tire tube and/or backup air tire tube and/or case and/or base by at least one end of the channel.
Another type of device for transport of air is a device for transport of air in the tire or close to it fitted with a control element interconnected with a sensor located in a completely separated space formed by a sealed bag, which is, from an outside, at least partly under pressure of air in the tire and/or case and/or base.
The space for the chamber can be made by inserting a cradle between the tire and rim.
Yet another type of device for transport of air is a device for compression of the air in the tire or close to it with the chamber and/or any pump inserted between two coupled wheels.
The chamber and/or any pump in the tire can be placed on a base. Effectively, the base or comprises a hollow disc. Effectively, the base has its opposing walls joined which defines its cross-section. The base can be a rigid and/or collapsible system and/or spring and/or spring material. The base completely or almost completely prevents air exchange between two parts of the tire pressure space separated by it. Effectively, the base is fitted with at least one valve and/or vent interconnecting the base of the separated part of the tire pressure space.
Another subject of the invention is a device for transport of air in the tire or close to it with a chamber with shape memory placed in the tire wall or close to it and a power generator placed at the end of the chamber.
Effectively, the ring is placed on an air tube and/or bag placed inside a tire and filled by air. Effectively, a chamber end is interconnected with the air tube and/or bag and/or base and/or case. The chamber end can be fitted with a control element which may be a closure element.
Effectively, a valve is a three-way valve with its ends interconnected with the external environment and the internal space of the tire, where one end is provided with a valve, the next end is connected to the chamber with shape memory, and the last end is interconnected with the control element (which may be a closure element). Effectively, a channel is, at least in its part, formed by a lengthwise segmented chamber provided with 4 openings, where a longitudinal divisional plane is movable in a direction of deformation of at least one of the segmented parts of the chamber and at least one opening is provided with a valve and/or at least one segmented part of the chamber is permanently blocked by the deformation. The lengthwise segmented chamber can be placed in the wall and/or close to the wall of the tire and/or air tube and is provided with 3 openings into the tire and one opening into the external environment or with 3 openings into the external environment and one opening into the tire and/or the end of one longitudinal part of the chamber is interconnected with the end of the second longitudinal part of the chamber. The channel and/or chamber can be made by at least one of two flexible tubes placed next to each other, where one has the outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the other tube and/or one is, at least partly, inserted inside the other.
Effectively, the chamber is in form of a curved hollow channel with at least one its outer wall at least partly formed by at least a part of two areas lying in the longitudinal direction of the chamber, containing the angle a=0 to 120, while it is true that if a>0 it is located on the contact edge of these areas situated on the further side from the center of the area of the chamber cross-section.
The ring can be of a variable length. Effectively, the ring has a T-, I-, or O-shaped section or alike.
A ring or pressure transmitter acts on the chamber wall with less area than the area from which the tire pressure acts on it from the opposite side.
Another subject of the invention is a tire and/or rim and/or air tube and/or base and/or chamber containing adhesive and/or sectional lock to interconnect with any element from the group of tire and/or rim and/or air tube and/or base and/or chamber.
Yet another subject of the invention is a tire and/or rim adapted for placing of any device.
Another subject of the invention is a tire interconnected with a coil and/or magnet.